Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Mum! Not in front of the camera! This cub looks a little put out that he's forced to wash

This mother gave new meaning to the term 'tongue lashing' when she collared her cubs for a bath. The young Siberian tigers seemed eager to squirm away as they were hauled in for a clean. But their mum was determined to get the job done and, at one point, even used her massive paws to pin one of her mischievous offspring down.

A good licking: There was no getting away from the determined tiger

Behind the ears: The Siberian cub finally relents to bathtime

The big cat showed who was boss as she gave each one a good licking - despite their unimpressed expressions.The tender moments between the rare tigers were captured by photographer Eric Cunha at French zoo Parc des Felins in Seine-et-Marne.The 41-year-old, from Paris, spent several days photographing the tigers in their enclosures.

One long tongue: The tigers, photographed in France, are very tender with each other

Sit still! The cub firmly shuts its eyes as it succumbs to mother

He said: 'Each enclosure is between two and five hectares and it can sometimes be difficult to observe the animals.'I used very long telephoto lenses to get these shots.'I've had a great reaction to the pictures. People are amazed by the tenderness these big cats show to their babies.'The Siberian tiger, also known as the Amur tiger, is a subspecies inhabiting mainly the Sikhote Alin mountain region with a small population in southwest Primorye province in the Russian Far East.